Originally published by Jessica Wang of The Daily Telegraph
13.04.2026
The head of mining giant Santos has lambasted approval processes for gas developments, saying they need to be “more reliable and more workable” if Anthony Albanese’s goal to boost the number of gas fields in the medium term is realised.
Kevin Gallagher made the comments in response to the Prime Minister’s claim he was disappointed at the go-slow of the deadlocked Narrabri Gas Project.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph after he secured guarantees from Singapore to continue shipments of fuel for Australian liquefied natural gas (LNG), Mr Albanese singled out projects like Santos’ Narrabri and Beetaloo in the Northern Territory, and Woodside’s Scarborough Energy Project in WA as projects that could increase the amount of LNG Australia supplies to Singapore.
Currently that amount is about 31 per cent of the island nation’s total needs.
Asked whether he was “disappointed” at the regulatory and legal hurdles faced by Santos’ Narrabri project, Mr Albanese said: “Yes, absolutely, we want to see it go ahead.”
The operation was first proposed in 2011 to exclusively supply the domestic east coast gas market and is forecast to account for up to half of NSW’s gas needs.
“Gas has an important role to play. We’ve said that very clearly because it provides the firming capacity to then encourage that investment in renewables as well,” Mr Albanese said.
“So for things such as a transition in Tomago (aluminium smelter) and some of these big industrial users as well, gas has got an important role.”
While Santos received formal sign-off from the NSW and federal governments in 2020, the 95,000ha Narrabri project continues to wallow in court battles, currently facing a Federal Court appeal over native title and potential legal action from farmers.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has threatened compulsory land acquisitions, imploring co-operation between Santos and landholders.
The Adelaide-based company has to date spent $1.5bn on the project, and has yet to make its final investment decision, despite non-binding memorandums of understanding with energy retailer Engie, the Narrabri Shire Council and chemical manufacturer Orica.
Mr Gallagher, Santos’ chief executive and managing director, told the Telegraph that while the company was “ready and willing” to work with “other producers, federal, state and territory governments” to accelerate new developments, approval reforms were needed to make processes “faster, more reliable and more workable”.
He also made the pointed comments that “when project approvals are given, investors must be able to rely on them”, referring to the Federal Court appeal launched by the Gomeroi people after the Narrabri and the Hunter Gas Pipeline was cleared by the Native Title Tribunal.
“We all support rigorous project assessment and condition setting to give the community confidence that the environment, cultural heritage and the rights of other land users will be protected, but the processes are simply too slow and too burdensome,” Mr Gallagher said.
He said the Middle East conflict had “shown how important new oil supply projects are – like Dorado in Western Australia’s Bedout Basin – to shore up Australia’s strategic reserve and liquid fuel security”.
“Even the most ardent believers in the need to transition away from fossil fuels know the world will need more oil as well as gas in the medium term, and recent events have shown it is risky to rely on getting it from others,” Mr Gallagher added.
NSW Natural Resources Minister Courtney Houssos said the state had long supported the Narrabri project and she was “looking at every opportunity available to make sure NSW has the energy we need”.
The Prime Minister will travel to Brunei and Malaysia from tomorrow to ensure continued supply of fertiliser and liquid fuels in exchange for Australian LNG. Mr Albanese will look to secure guarantees from Brunei’s Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong guaranteed ongoing fuel shipments “as long as upstream supplies continue”.
